I appreciate Secretary of State Bellows doing her job and showing fellow Americans that some public officials have the wherewithal to do the right thing under extreme pressure. I see the issue of Trump’s nomination involving three issues: rule of law, individual rights and peaceful transfer of power.

Trump used his right to challenge election results and lost each court decision and state recount. Trump refuses to accept these results, which are constitutional and legal decisions. The president’s job is to defend and uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, but Trump has shown he is unwilling to do either. I believe this alone should disqualify him from being on the Maine ballot. Our democratic republic cannot function if we allow this to go unpunished. He calls people convicted of seditious activity patriots and promises to pardon them if elected president.

The Republicans can do better; we can do better. Secretary of State Bellows’ decision made me think of another Maine public official with the integrity to challenge McCarthyism, whose architect, Sen. Joseph McCarthy, used a playbook was similar to Trump’s. Sen. Margaret Chase Smith challenged the use of hate, divisiveness and conspiracy theories as tools to retain, control and acquire power within the political realm. Smith’s powerful message still holds true today. I love my country and am fully aware of the ramifications of Secretary Bellows’ decision. Still, if we do not hold people accountable for their actions, I fear the great American experiment will shortly cease to exist.

Joseph L. Emery
Winthrop

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